| Disclaimer: I am neither an attorney nor an international student officer. Always consult your international student office (ISO).
F1 students are legally allowed to work on campus for up to 20 hours per week. Most campus jobs include working in the libraries, cafeterias, labs, gyms, bookstores etc. The pay tends to be around current minimum wage, i.e. $5.25 per hour, which is likely to increase when the Democrat congress takes over in the next couple of days.
SSN is always required for tax purpose. ISO at some schools may host a special event for "mass SSN registration". You generally owe no federal income tax unless you make over $3200 (the standard exception for non-resident in 2005) in a year. Your state income tax varies. F1 students are also not required to pay FICA taxes, i.e. social security and medicare. Even if you owe no tax, you would have to file your tax in order to get the withhold amount back.
It may be possible to seek off campus employment on certain cases. Consult your ISO on the specifics. | 
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